Murdochville, Quebec

Murdochville
City
Location within La Côte-de-Gaspé RCM.
Murdochville Location in eastern Quebec.
Coordinates: 48°58′N 65°30′W / 48.967°N 65.500°W / 48.967; -65.500Coordinates: 48°58′N 65°30′W / 48.967°N 65.500°W / 48.967; -65.500[1]
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine
RCM	La Côte-de-Gaspé
Settled	1950
Constituted	July 15, 1953
Government[2]
• Mayor	Délisca Ritchie Roussy
• Federal riding	Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine
• Prov. riding	Gaspé
Area[2][3]
• Total	63.80 km2 (24.63 sq mi)
• Land	61.18 km2 (23.62 sq mi)
Elevation	535 m (1,755 ft)
Population (2011)[3]
• Total	764
• Density	12.5/km2 (32/sq mi)
• Pop 2006-2011	5.9%
• Dwellings	508
Time zone	EST (UTC−5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC−4)
Postal code(s)	G0E 1W0
Area code(s)	418 and 581
Highways	Route 198
Website	www.murdochville.com

Murdochville is a town located in Quebec, Canada, one of only a few inland communities on the Gaspé Peninsula. Its population (as of 2011) is 764.

Murdochville is located along Quebec Route 198 in the geographic township of Holland, 40 kilometres (25 mi) south of L'Anse-Pleureuse and 93 kilometres (58 mi) west of Gaspé. It is 535 metres (1,755 ft) above sea level and surrounded by high mountains.

History

Ski hill, looking north from Murdochville

In 1921, copper ore was discovered in the area by the Miller brothers: Alfred, Sydney, Frederick, Angus and Theophilus. However, it was not until 1950 that Noranda Mines actually began mining. The mining town was set up and named after James Y. Murdoch, owner of the mine and first president of Noranda. In 1953, the town was incorporated.^[1]

The mining operation in the town was comparatively large, starting with mining the raw ore and finishing with an end product of pure copper anode. In the 1970s, the mining operation in Murdochville was large enough to support a population of 5,000 inhabitants. A number of large union battles in Murdochville also helped lay the groundwork for ideas that still exist today. Workers in Murdochville fought for their rights in 1957, which led to the adoption of several new laws protecting the rights of unionized workers in Quebec.

In 1987, the mine was partially destroyed by an underground fire, and mining only resumed two years later.^[1]

The mine closed in 1999, leaving the town to fight for survival. After several close calls, the small town has decided to fight back, in an effort to reverse the economic uncertainty that has befallen the town. This has included the creation of several large wind turbine projects, along with the diversification of the local economy, with emphasis on tourism (such as skiing in the winter months).

Demographics

Population

Language

Canada Census Mother Tongue - Murdochville, Quebec[6]
Census		Total		French				English				French & English				Other
Year		Responses		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %
2011		760		725	0.0%	95.39%		30	0.0%	3.95%		5	n/a%	0.66%		0	100.0%	0.00%
2006		805		725	34.4%	90.06%		30	14.3%	3.73%		0	100.0%	0.00%		50	400.0%	6.21%
2001		1,175		1,105	25.6%	94.04%		35	65.0%	2.98%		25	150.0%	2.13%		10	n/a%	0.85%
1996		1,595		1,485	n/a	93.10%		100	n/a	6.27%		10	n/a	0.63%		0	n/a	0.00%

Climate

Murdochville lies between the temperate subarctic and the cold humid continental climates. Summers are relatively cool and short, whereas winters are long and at times very cold with massive amounts of snowfall. The brief summers are, however, mild enough to keep September (the fourth-warmest month) right on the edge of the 10 °C (50 °F) isotherm for humid continental. The high amount of precipitation and snowfall would also be very unusual for subarctic climates.

See also

• List of cities in Quebec

References

External links

• Town of Murdochville
• Tourist Information about Murdochville
• CBC Radio Story: No Company Town: The Story of Murdochville